Thread by @evan_greer

BREAKING: The Senate just voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act, after rejecting an amendment that would have required the FBI to at least get a warrant before spying on Internet activity. Both parties just handed an authoritarian admin nearly limitless surveillance power

The Wyden/Daines amendment, which failed by JUST ONE VOTE (with several members who would have voted for it, including @BernieSanders, not present) would have required the FBI to get a warrant before looking at your browsing history and online activity.

The Senate did pass the Lee/Leahy amendment, which expands the role of the amici curiae to guard against FISA abuses like targeting of religious groups, political organizations and the press. But they otherwise reauthorized the surveillance programs in their entirely.

But here's the deal: @SpeakerPelosi can basically just decide to actually fight for basic protections for civil liberties by just adding the Wyden/Daines Amendment, which we now know would pass the Senate, when this goes back to the House. You may wanna call her: [phone]

Special shout out to @RepAdamSchiff, who spent the last two years shouting about how Trump is the worst president ever in history and a literal fascist russian puppet, and then did everything in his power to ensure that Trump would have unaccountable, dystopian surveillance power

The amendment votes in the Senate show that there is actually strong bipartisan support for at the very least reigning in the worst Patriot Act programs and abuses. But Congressional leadership from both parties have consistently blocked real reform. Enough bullshit. End this.

People are literally dying. Tens of millions are unemployed. Small businesses are devastated. There are millions with no access to Internet.

So Congress votes to ::checks notes:: reauthorize an expensive, invasive, mass surveillance program that has never saved a single life.